The Daughter That Lost It All

Caught in the aftermath of my actions, I grappled with a tough decision. The kid cried, cradling her father's body, and I felt a mix of guilt and reluctance to take on the responsibility.

I considered leaving her there – she'd be a headache in my party. Even though I offed her dad, it didn't mean I had to babysit her. Dying by monsters sucked, but by my hands? That was a whole new nightmare, for me, of course.

Sure, I might be a selfish jerk, but killing a child wasn't my thing, especially one who just lost her father. I had a heart, even if it was buried under layers of apocalypse-induced apathy.

Prepping to bail, the ground shook, and the ruins crumbled. A quick glance back, and I saw the kid amid the chaos, crying and confused. The building was collapsing, and I hated it, but my body acted before my brain.

I tossed my mask and scooped her up, zipping her away from the crumbling mess. Body on autopilot, I was ticked at my own soft spot for a kid.

Setting her down, she looked at me, blue eyes filled with confusion. "What happened? Where's my daddy?" she whimpered.

That's when it hit me – Jayden wasn't a normal kid; this was how a child should react in such chaos.

Pointing at her dad's corpse under the wreckage, she wailed, tossing rocks off him. "Mister, help me with the rocks. My dad must be hurting."

I sighed; did she know he was already gone? Should I spill the truth or ditch her?

"Your father's gone," I said.

"Liar! He's alive! Why won't you help?" she snapped.

I wanted out, but my feet rooted. Guilt hit hard. Squatting, I wondered – do I ditch the kid and abandon my last bit of humanity?

Could I really go through with that?

As I contemplated my dilemma, a small hand tugged at my clothes. It was the kid, her eyes still red from crying and her blonde hair all tangled up.

"My daddy won't move. What happened to him?" she asked, her innocence tugging at my hardened exterior.

I sighed, already weary of repeating myself. But I need to be patient, she was just a child and didn't understand the concept of death.

"He's sleeping, but he won't wake up again."

"Like my mom?" she cried once more.

I just nodded, feeling the weight of guilt settle in. What a harsh life for this child, losing the only parent she had. Standing up, I brushed off the debris on her father's lifeless form.

"Let's bury him," I suggested. It seemed like the right thing to do, a proper farewell for a child who'd lost everything.

But, ugh... What a shame! He must have nice skills if only Tiamat could devour him. Sometimes, I hope I was a total psycho asshole that killed everyone regarding their age without guilt.

Not half-assed like this!

Dragging the heavy corpse with the child out of the building was a Herculean task. Shit! The guy was massive, resembling Gideon in both weight and muscle.

Once we found a suitable spot, I began to dig, grateful for the spatial bag that allowed me to save a hoe and make the process slightly more manageable.

While I worked, memories of my grandpa resurfaced. I recalled a sunny day in mid-spring when flowers bloomed together, and we sat in the backyard.

"Seth, a child shouldn't bear the weight of parental responsibilities or the cruelty of this world," he spoke with a trembling voice, a sign of his age.

His aged teeth peeked through when he continued, "A child should enjoy their days, be happy in the moment, protected by the adults around them, without worrying about the messed-up world."

"Seth, someday you'll understand what I mean. And when you do, I hope you can forgive your family for whatever they've done to you."

As a child, I didn't grasp the depth of his words, except the idea that children should be shielded and content.

That was probably why I had a soft spot for children, especially when I already had power and was not as pathetic as when I started this game.

Of course, that soft spot wasn't applicable when I was dying or trying to save myself.

After speaking with Tiamat, I began to comprehend my grandpa's message, sensing a connection to my parents' death. I wonder what it was.

Oh well, I was in the middle of burying a person, I need to focus.

Peering into the hole, I saw the lifeless body of the man I had killed, and the child who had lost everything crying beside me.

"I should have brought flowers to say goodbye to Daddy," she murmured through tears.

Reaching into my pocket, I found two coins and suggested, "How about this? Put them in his eyes so he can cross the Styx river."

She nodded, took the coins from my palm, and placed them over her father's eyes. Once she was ready, I covered the hole again, accompanied by her somber sobs.

As the first snowflakes fell from the sky, I begrudgingly stretched out my hand, catching one on my palm. I never liked snow; it felt so gloomy and dull—all that whiteness.

Somehow, it matched the heavy atmosphere around me. Yet, Randy used to say that wishes made during the first snow would come true.

"Why not?" I thought. My wish? That the child wouldn't bother me anymore.

Glancing at her, still tearful, I pondered how long it would take for her to stop crying. Was it a good idea to leave her alone?

Oh right, she wasn't my responsibility. I should just leave her by her father's grave. However, as I walked away, I noticed she was following me, subtly at the edge of my vision.

Sighing, I contemplated how I would explain this to my party members. Should I tell them I accidentally adopted the child of the man I just killed?

What a hassle. Maybe I could find her father's party members or another group willing to take her in.

Deciding to let her stay in my place for the night and leave in the morning without anyone noticing, we headed back to my cottage.

Upon opening the door, I found all my party members relaxing in the living room. Why the hell were they still awake at this time!? Didn't they get tired from all the mini-games? Ughh....

Gulping nervously, I tried to sneak in with the child, hiding her behind me.

"You finally arrive, Seth. Dinner's in the fridge; warm it up yourself," Gideon said from the sofa, startling me. I instinctively concealed the child.

"Yeah, I'll do that later," I mumbled, moving further into the room with the child in tow.

"Dang, Seth, you brought a kid? I thought you preferred older women. You disappoint me," someone chimed in from behind me.

I know that someone, it was Matthias! That damnned Matthias!